Carbureter.



I llgyd L die/f0 L. L. MELTON.

CAEBUHETER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 11 WY/Z6W,M 'V K 110 112 07 L. L. MELTON. QARBURETER.APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911,

5 SHEETSSHEBT 2.

mmww- I Jkwzzzwn- .Zfgydl. fir/Z227,

L. L. MELTON G'AEBUEETER. APPLICATION FILED snm. s, 1910.

Patented'Dec. 26, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

#1720 z/ziwncoLuMmA PLANOGRAPII co..wnsumq'rur-', n. c.

L. L. MELTON.

CARBURETER. APPLICATION r ILBD saw. a, 1910. I

Patented Dec.26,1911.

W W 4 MJ f m MN Hfl QM. W I M/ e 2: W J d Q3 2 m m .1 .n v mm m mw ww N7.2 m. ,NS 3 QM L. L. MELTON.

GARBURETER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1910.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 Zia/l,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD L. MELTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR C.SOULE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARB-URETER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1911.

Application filed September 3, 1910. Serial No. 580,391.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LLOYD L. MELTON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCarbureters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carbureters for internalcombustion engines and the object of my invention is to provide acarbureter of such construction as to be capable -of supplying anexplosive mixture of the proper strength or richness under allatmospheric conditions. It is the oxygen of the air which constitutesthe active principle of the same in the explosive mixture and it is wellknown that the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere varies greatly withthe elevation. Therefore, with an engine designed to operate at variousaltitudes, it is desirable to have the same provided with a carbureterwhich may be regulated to supply a mixture to the engine ofsubstantially uniform strength or richness. It is of great advantage toprovide such a carbureter on a touring car when traveling in mountainouscountries and of especial. advantage to provide the same on aeroplanesadapted for flying at great heights.

A further and particular object of my invention is to provide acarbureter which may be readily and quickly adjusted to vary theproportion of air and vapor in the mixture according to atmosphericconditions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carburetercharacterized as above mentioned which will maintain a constant volumeof out-put irrespective of the change in proportions of the mixture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a carbureter as mentionedin which the volume of out-put may be regulated without changing thequality of the mixture.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view my invention consists generally in a gas pumpand an air pump, means for supplying hydro-carbon vapor to the former, amixing chamber in communication with the exhaiist of said pumps, meansfor reciprocating pistons of said pumps and simultaneously operablemeans for increasing the length of stroke of one pump and decreasing thestroke of the other pump whereby the strength of the mixture may bevaried.

-My invention further consists in a device as above mentioned in whichthe air pump is of greater capacity than the gas pump and a variablespeed mechanism operable simultaneously with the stroke varyingmechanism whereby when the stroke of the smaller pump is lengthened andthat of the larger pump shortened the speed thereof will be increased,and vice versa, whereby a constant out-put of mixture is hadirrespective of the proportional out-put of the two pumps.

My invention further consists in a device characterized as above incombination with a constantly driven shaft and a second variable speedmechanism interposed between said shaft and the first mentioned.variable speed mechanism whereby the volume of out-put may be regulatedwithout varying the strength of the mixture.

My invention further consists in an improved vaporizer, an improvedmixer, and in various details of construction and arrangements of partsall as will be fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed outin the claims.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in whichFigure l is a view partially in section and partially in elevation of myimproved carbureter in its preferred form, Fig. 2 is a vertical sectiontaken on line aca9 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3' is a longitudinal section taken online g of Fig. 1, Fig. at is a section taken on line zz of Fig. 1, Fig.5 is an enlarged vertical sect-ion taken on line 1) of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 isa detail perspective view, Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section takenon line ww of Fig. 2, Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken on line uu ofFig. 6, Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on line 25-2? of Fig. 6, andF ig. 9' is an enlarged view showing a vaporizer employed in connectionwith the exhaust pipe of an engine.

Referring now to the drawings 1 indicates a gas pump or vapor pumpand 2an air pump. As a larger supply of air is required than of vapor, theair pump i of larger capacity than the vapor pump, preferably of largerdiameter.

1 and 2 indicate the pistons of the respective pumps which are connectedby piston rods 1 and 2 to cross heads 1 and 2 respectively.

13 and 14 indicate crank disks provided with crank pins 15 and 15respectively which are connected by connecting rods 13 and 14 to thecross heads 1 and 2 The crank disks are driven in a manner hereinafterdescribed. The disks 13 and 14 are operatively connected and to this endsaid disks preferably constitute intermeshing gears as illustrated inthe drawings. The gear 13 is preferably larger than the gear 14 in orderthat the output of the air pump shall be sufiiciently greater than thatof the vapor pump without unduly increasing the dimensions of theformer. Vapor is supplied to the pump 1 through a pipe 12 from avaporizer hereinafter described, and air is supplied to the air pumpthrough a screened opening 2 from the atmosphere. The exhaust of the pums 1 and 2 com municate through branc pipes 2 with a common pipe 2leading to a mixing chamber 23 which will be described hereinafter.

In vaporizing the liquid hydro-carbon fuel the heat of the engineexhaust is utilized and to this end the vaporizer is arranged about theengine exhaust pipe.

11 indicates the exhaust pipe from the engine. Arranged about theexhaust pipe 11 is a cylindrical shell 9 of larger diameter than saidpipe and between said pipe and said shell is arranged a helical member10 forming a helical passageway around the pipe 11 between its severalconvolutions.

9 indicates a small chamber in communication with one end of the helicalpassageway 10 and extending into said chamber is a fuel supply pipe 7,the end of which is provided with a small aperture 7 controlled by aneedle valve 8 threaded through the opposite wall of the chamber 9. Bymeans of the valve 8 the quantity of fuel supplied to the vaporizer maybe nicely regulated and the fuel in passing through the helical passageWay 10 about the hot exhaust pipe 11 is thoroughly vaporized. Theopposite end of the passage way 10 communicates with the pipe 12 leadingto the vapor pump.

The mixer comprises a chamber 3 into which the pipe 2 discharges at oneend, a plurality of baflie plates screens and agitators. 3 indicate thebattle plates which extend alternately from opposite walls of thechamber 3 and 5 indicate the screens which form partitions across thechamber. The gas in passing around the baffle plates and through thescreens, with the air, is well mixed with the latter, butto insure a perfectly uniform and homogeneous mixture an agitator is provided whichconsists of a pair of fans 4 rotatably mounted upon opposite sides ofone of the screens 5.

4 and 4" indicate a pair of alined shafts extending through the casing 3and upon which the fans 4 are mounted. The shafts are driven in oppositedirections by sprocket gearing 4 6 indicates a pipe leading from themixing chamber to the engine.

It is obvious that with the device above described a uniform gas mixturewill be supplied to the engine providing air uniformly rich in oxygen issupplied to the air pump. However, atmospheric conditions, especially inregard to the quantity of oXygen, vary greatly particularly with changesin altitude, and it is the primary object of my invention to provide a'device of the character under consideration whereby when once regulatedto give the proper mixture under given atmospheric conditions it may bereadily adjusted under varying conditions to give an absolute uniformityto the resultant mixture. To this end. I provide means whereby theoutput of the two pumps may be varied to suit the change of conditionand also means for automatically maintaining a uniform quantity ofoutput with the change in relative output of the pumps.

Each of the disks 13 and 14 is provided with a radially disposed slot 16and the crank pins 15 are slidably mounted in the respective slots andprovided with extensions upon the opposite or rear face of the disks.Parallel with the slots, and mounted in suitable bearings on the disksare rods 17 which are threaded through the extensions, so that byturning the rods the crank pins are moved toward or from the center ofthe disks thereby shortening or increasing the length of the stroke ofthe pump pistons as the case may be. The rods are preferably oppositelythreaded so that by turning the two rods in the same direction the crankpins will bemoved in opposite direction, so that as the stroke of onepump is increased the stroke of the other pump will be decreased andvice versa. The disks 13 and 14 are mounted on shafts 23 and 23respectively having bearings 23*. The shaft 23 is power driven and theshaft 23 is driven through the medium of the gears 13 and 14. Slidablymounted on the shafts 23 and 23 are sleeves 20 provided withlongitudinal racks 19 which mesh with pinions 18 fixed to the rod 17. Itis obvious that by moving the sleeves 2O longitudinally of the shaftsthe rods 17 will be turned and the crank pins 15 shifted.

21 indicates a three armed lever, one arm of which constitutes a handleor operating arm and the other two arms extending to the sleeves 20, theends being bifurcated to receive the sleeves. The sleeves are providedwith peripheral grooves 22 to receive the ends of the lever 21. Bymoving the lever the sleeves, and consequently the crank pins areshifted simultaneously. The lever 21 is manually operated, but in orderthat the regulation of the device may be governed according toatmospheric conditions, I provide a barometer 26 from which theatmospheric conditions may be ascertained. Adjacent thebarometer Iprovide an indicator having a scale similar to that of the barometer andconnect the indicator with the lever.

24 indicates the indicator and 25 the rod connecting the frame with thelever 21. The parts are so proportioned that when the indicator hand ispositioned to correspond with the barometer the pumps will give thecorrect mixture. With any change in the atmospheric condition asrecorded by the barometer, the lever 21 is shifted to make the indicatorcorrespond with the barometer thus maintaining a uniform quality orstrength of gas mixture. However as the stroke of the two pumps isvaried to maintain the quality of the mixture, the quantity of mixturewill vary on account of the differences in dimensions of the pumps.Accordingly I' provide means for maintaining a constant output as wellas a uniform quality of gas, and I accomplish this by varying the speedof rotation of the crank disks 13 and 14.

Longitudinally slidable on the shaft 23 is a disk 35. This is fixedagainst rotation on the shaft and to this end the shaft is preferablyprovided with a squared portion 36. Mounted upon opposite sides of thedisk 35 is a pair of disks 34, the periphery of the disk 35 engaging thefaces of the disks 34.

33 indicates a disk lying parallel with the disk 35 and having its faceengaging the peripheries of the disks 34. The disk 33 is power driven aswill be hereinafter described, and when rotated imparts motion to theshaft 23 through the medium of the friction disks 34 and 35. As the disk35 is moved on the shaft 23 its periphery engages faces of the disks 34nearer to or farther from the center as the case may be. It is thereforeobvious that when the disk 33 is driven at a uniform speed or velocity,the speed of the shaft 23 and disk 13 may be varied by shifting the disk35, the nearer the disk 35 approaches the center of the disks 34 theslower the speed of the shaft 23 and the nearer it approaches theperiphcry of said disks the greater the speed. In order that this changeof speed may be made automatically as the stroke of the pumps is varied,I connect the disk 35 with the sleeve 20 on the shaft 23. 23 indicate apair of rods connecting the sleeve and the disk, and extendinglongitudinally of the shaft 23, said shaft being provided withlongitudinal grooves 23 to receive them. The rods 23 also serve as keysor feathers to secure the sleeve 20 against rotation on the shaft.

It has been described how the richness of the mixture may be variedwithout chang ing the volume of output of the device and how it may beregulated to maintain a constant quality and constant quantity of output under various atmospheric conditions. It remains to be described howthe volume of output may be Varied to suit requirements without changingthe quality of the gas. The disk 33 is formed upon a shaft 32, a portionof said shaft being squared, and upon the squared portion of said shaftis mounted a disk 31 of greater diameter than the disk 33. The disk isadapted to slide longitudinally of the shaft and a lever 27 is providedfor shifting the same. Arranged upon either side of the disk 31 with thefaces thereof engaging the periphery of said disk is a pair of disks 30.Parallel with the disk 31 is a disk 29 whose face adjacent its peripheryengages the peripheries of the disks 30. The disk 29 is mounted upon ashaft 28 and is adapted to rotate independently of the disk 31 exceptthrough the medium of the intermediate disks 30'. The shaft 28 and disk29 is constantly driven by the sprocket gearing 28 Thedisk 29 and disks30 being constantly driven, it is obvious that the speed of the shaft 32and disk 33 may be varied by shifting the disk 31, and it is alsoobvious that an initial speed as determined by the position of the disk31 wit-h relation to the disks 30, the richness of the mixture may bevaried or maintained constant under changing atmospheric conditionswithout changing the initial output.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a vapor pump and an air pump, apair of driven crank disks, a crank pin on each of said disks, pitmenconnecting said crank pins with the respective pumps and means forsimultaneously adjusting said crank pins on said disks to increase thestroke of one pump and decrease the stroke of the other.

2. In a device of the class described, a vapor pump and an air pump, apair of driven crank disks said disks being provided with radial slots,a crank pin slidably mounted in the slot of each of said disks and meansfor simultaneously moving one of said crank pins toward the center ofthe respective disk and the other toward the periphery of its respectivedisk, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the classdescribed, a vapor pump and an air pump ofgreater capacity than the vapor pump, means. for simultaneouslyincreasing the stroke of one pump and decreasing the stroke of the otherand means for automatically varying the speed of the pumps as theirstrokes are of the respective pins, a pinion on each of i said rods, asleeve slidably mounted on each of said shafts, a rack on each of saidsleeves meshing with said pinions and means for simultaneously shiftingsaid sleeves on said shaft.

5. In a device of the class described, a vapor pump and an air pump, apair of crank disks, a shaft, for each of said disks, one of said shaftsbeing driven from the other, each of said disks being provided with aradial slot, a crank pin slidably mounted in each of said slots, pitmenconnecting said crank pins with the respective pumps, an extension oneach of said pins, a threaded rod rotatably mounted on each of saiddisks and engaging sai d extensions, a pinion on each of said rods, asleeve on each of said shafts, a rack on each of said sleeves meshingwith saidpinions,.means for shifting said sleeves simultaneously, a diskslidably mounted on one of said shafts, a pair of disks engaging theperiphery of the first said disks, a driven disk engaging the peripheryof the last said disk and means for shifting the first said disk,substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, a vapor pump and an air pump, apair of crank disks, a shaft for each of said disks, one of said shaftsbeing driven from the other, each of said disks being provided with aradial slot, a crank pin slidably mounted in each of said slots, pitmenconnecting said crank pins with the respective pumps, an extension oneach of said pins, a threaded rod rotatably mounted on each of saiddisks and engaging said extensions, a pinion on each of said rods, asleeve on each of saidshafts, a rack on each of said sleeves meshingwith said pinions, means for shifting said sleeves simultaneously, adisk slidably mounted on one of said shafts, a pair of disks engagingthe periphery of the first said disk, a driven disk engaging theperiphery of the last said disk and a rigid connection between the firstsaid disk and the sleeve on the same shaft therewith.

7. In a device of the class described, a

gas pumpand an air pump the capacity of the gas pump being less thanthat of the air pump and the latter being normally driven at greaterspeed than the former, means 7 for simultaneously increasing the strokeof one pump and decreasing the stroke of the other and a variable speedmechanism automatically*operable with the last saidmeans for varying thespeed of the pumps to maintain a constant output, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a device of the class described, a vapor pump and an air pump, apair of shafts a crank disk on each of said shafts each of said disksbeing provided with a radial slot a crank pin slidably mounted in eachof said slots, means for shifting said pins toward or from the center ofthe repective disks, a lever adapted to actuate the last said meanssimultaneously for shifting one of said pins inwardly as the other isshifted outwardly, a barometer having a .dial, an indicator having adial similar to the barometer and meansconnecting said lever with theindicator whereby the lever may be shifted according to indications ofthe barometer, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence'of two subscribing witnesse.

' LLOYD L. MELTON. Witnesses;

FLORENCE E. LILLIS, JOSHUA R. H. Porrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

